Catch device for car-vestibule curtains.



PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904.

J. G. BARRY. CATCH DEVICE FOR GAR VESTIBULE CURTAINS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3. 1903- N0 MODEL.

Patented August 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH G. BARRY, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

CATCH DEVICE FOR CAR-VESTIBULE CURTAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,623, dated August 16, 1904.

Application filed August 8, 1903. Serial No. 167,976. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH Gr. BARRY, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at St. Paul, in. the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota',have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Catch Devices for Car-vestibule Curtains, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in catch deyices for car-vestibule curtains, its object being to provide a device which will hold the curtain securely and positively when the cars are coupled together, but which will automatically release the curtain when the cars are pulled apart or separated.

When two vestibuled cars are coupled together, the diaphragm-plates of the cars are normally in spring-pressed contact with each other, but when the train is in motion the plates are liable to be jerked apart by sudden pulls or pushes of the engine, as well as moved sidewise past one another in the swaying of the cars. To shield these plates from passengers passing from one car to another and prevent passengers from being injured by getting caught between the plates, vestibuled cars are usually provided with curtains eX- tending across from one car to the other. .If now the curtain is unyieldingly secured to both of the cars, it is obvious that when the cars are uncoupled or become accidentally separated the curtain will be split or torn away. To avoid this result, a spring-catch is often used, so that in case of such separation the catch will yield to, release the curtain; but the spring must be made weak and loses its strength by use.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a device which will hold the curtain by positive means when the cars are connected, but which Will automatically release the curtain when the cars are separated.

To that end my invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the meeting ends of two railway-cars and showing my improved fastening device with the catch in locked engagement with the loop of the curtain, the curtain being partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a transverse horizontal section on lines a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front elevation,on an enlarged scale, of the catch and key, showing the key in position to hold the catch from being turned under the tension of the curtain. Fig. at isa transverse horizontal section taken on line 1 y of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view, but showing the key removed and the catch turned into position to release the curtain-loop; and Fig. 6 is a detail of the key alone.

In the drawings, A and A represent the ends of two vestibuled railway-cars, having posts 2 and 2, diaphragm-plates 3 and 3, and diaphragms 1 and 1, respectively, the diaphragms being secured in the usual manner to the posts and plates. The vestibule-curtain 5 may be secured along one edge in any convenient way to one of the cars. As shown in the drawings, the-post 2 is formed with a recess 6, within which is journaled at top and bottom a spring shade-roller 7, to which one edge of the curtain is secured in such manner that when the free edge of the curtain is released the roller will wind up the curtain.

As the construction and arrangement of curtain, cars, diaphragm-plates, and diaphragms is the same as that ordinarily used and as they form no part of my invention, the details of the construction need not be more particularly described.

Upon the face of the post 2 and secured thereto in any suitable way, as by the screws 8, is a plate 9, having a recess or opening 10 registering with a recess or hole 11 in the post behind it.

by the pivot 13, so that it will swing freely thereon. At one end of the catch is a hook 14, adapted to be engaged by a loop 15 on the free edge of the curtain. The other end or tail of the catch is extended rearwardly and swings freely within the recesses in the plate and post, as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The plate 9 is set out a little from the face of the post 2 or from a facing-plate 17, which may be secured to the post beneath the plate 9, as shown in the drawings, to allow In these recesses works a catch 12, pivotally mounted upon the plate 9 the insertion of the key 18, as hereinafter described. The plate 17 is of course provided with an opening 19, registering with the openings 10 and 11 in the outer plate and post.

Secured to the post 2 of the car carrying the curtain is a cable 20, of less length than the curtain, carrying at its free end a key 18. This key consists, preferably, as shown in the drawings, of a strip of sheet metal doubled upon itself and is thin enough to permit of its insertion beneath the plate 9. It is also somewhat wider than the holes in the plates 9 and 17, so that it has a firm seat against these plates. When the key is inserted behind the plate 9 it closes the recesses 11 and 19 in the post and its facing-plate, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4; of the drawings, and prevents the tail end 16 of the catch from-being turned into these recesses. With the key in this position, the hook 15 of the catch cannot be turned outwardly, and therefore will not yield to the tension of the curtain. If now the cars should become uncoupled or separated so far as to take up the slack in the cable 20, the key upon the free end of the cable will be pulled out of engagement with the plate 9, thus allowing the catch to turn freely into the position shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings to release the curtain, andas the cable is shorter than the curtain the key will be withdrawn and the curtain released before any strain is exerted upon the means of attachment of the curtain.

To prevent the key from being shaken out of engagement with the plates or post by the jolting of the car, the key is preferably formed or provided near its attached end with a yielding protuberance or shoulder, such as the spring-arch 21, adapted to press against one or both of the plates 9 and 17 and hold the key from being drawn out under light pulls or strains. If desired, the inner side of the plate 9 may be formed with a ledge or shoulder 22, adapted to engage the shoulder 21 of the key and hold it more firmly.

In the specification and claims the word cable is used to cover generically any instruinentality suitable folcarrying and rna-- cars and a vestibule-curtain, of a curtain-catch carried by one of the cars and means independent of the curtain carried by the other car for holding the catch in curtain-holding position.

2. The combination, with two vestibuled cars and their vestibule-curtain, of a catch carried by one of the cars in position to engage the curtain and a key carried by the other car, the" key being adapted to engage the catch to hold the curtain but being adapted to be withdrawn from such engagement by the separation of the cars.

3. The combination, with two vestibuled cars, of a curtain-catch pivotally mounted upon one of the cars and a cable secured tothe other car, and means carried by the cable for engaging the catch to hold it from turning, said means being adapted to be withdrawn from the catch in the separation of the cars.

4. The combination, with two vestibuled cars,of a curtain-catch pivotally mounted upon one of the cars, a key adapted to be inserted beneath one end of the catch to prevent its turning, and a cable securedat'one end to the other car and at the other end to the key, whereby the key will be withdrawn from the catch by the separation of the cars.

5. The combination, with two vestibuled cars, of a curtain secured to one of the cars, a cable also secured to said car, a key carried by the cable, a catch pivotally mounted upon the other car and adapted to swing in a recess therein and a guideway beneath the catch adapted to receive the key, whereby the catch will be prevented from turning.

6. The combination, with two vestibuled cars, of a vestibule-curtain carried by one of the cars, a cable also carried by said car, the cable being ofless length than the curtain, a curtain-catch carried by the other car, and means carried by the cable for engaging the catch to keep it in curtain-holding position but being adapted to be withdrawn from the catch by the separation of the cars, for the purpose described.

7. ,The combination, with two vestibuled cars and a vestibule-curtain, of a catch carried by one of the cars in position to engage the curtain, and a key carried by the other car, the key being formed with a yielding protuberance for the purpose described, and being adapted to engage the catch to hold the curtain but being adapted to be withdrawn from such engagement by the separation of the cars.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH G. BARRY.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR P. LOTHROP, EMILY F. OTIS. 

